Four Years
by happy29
Summary: It is Ray and Fraser's anniversary of when they became involved as a couple, but the day doesn't go as planned for everyone.


Four Years

By: happy29

This is for vic32…I hope you enjoy.

Due South does not belong to me, once again I am only borrowing them for the ride. I own all mistakes. Just a fun little drabble for my new friend

Ray was looking at the ingrediants on the counter top that he had just purchased from the grocery store that Fraser likes to frequent. He was going to attempt to make a nice anniversary dinner for himself and Fraser as a surprise. Ben usually did most of the cooking of the main dishes and Ray usually got the side dishes, which he was more than grateful for. But not tonight, no...tonight was special. It had been four years since they had become involved and as the newness of their relationship wore off, they began to learn more about each other. What would bother Fraser seemed to have no impact on Ray what so ever and it worked the other way around as well. They had quickly learned when the other needed space and when they needed to be held.

Ray stared at the ingredients once again and briefly considered calling in takeout. Fraser loved the Chinese place around the corner, so, he couldn't go wrong ordering dinner instead of making it himself, but that almost felt like cheating to Ray. No, tonight was for Ben.

Ray had somehow managed to get the day off without even asking for it, 'A screw up on the schedule', Welsh told him, 'Enjoy it'. Fraser was still scheduled at the Consulate all day, which worked to Ray's advantage. Fraser would be out of the apartment and Ray could get everything in order for their dinner. Earlier in the week, he had ordered a potted plant to be delivered to Fraser's office. Ray had always found it quite dreary and plain and thought a nice flowering plant would help brighten the office up. He chose a red Gerber daisy, simple and beautiful. Ray was quite sure Ben could tell him all about how to care for his new plant. He grinned at the thought of Fraser talking to the plant in his office to help it grow. He knew there was some scientific reason behind why that actually worked, and he was sure he would hear about it as well if he sat still long enough to listen to Ben tell him.

Evening was quickly approaching and Ray had been busy cooking Chinese for dinner. He had spent the better part of the morning watching and re-watching a video on how to cook Chinese from home and was pretty sure he could do it. He figured the sweet and sour Chicken would be the easiest for him to tackle. Fraser was due home in about ten minutes and Ray was hoping he had a good day. Unlike most days, they hadn't spoken at all today. Ray assumed Fraser had been too busy with the tasks the Ice Queen had assigned him for her upcoming conference in Ottawa. That woman really drove him nuts with her constant demands of Fraser, as if he was her personal assistant and not a respectable member of the RCMP.

Ray jumped when he heard Fraser's key in the lock. He turned the stove down to a slow simmer and made his way into the living room to greet Fraser. What greeted him instead was an angry wolf and a very distressed Mountie, who was no longer in uniform. Something was going on and Ray was about to see Fraser's snarky side.

Diefenbaker trodded into the living room and jumped up on the couch claiming Fraser's usual spot.

"Don't think that this conversation is over between us. Inspector Thatcher is our superior and we will treat her with respect even if we disagree with her actions. You were out of line in wanting to bite at her ankles, which is completely inappropriate behavior, even for you."

Ray chose this moment to interupt the one sided conversation as it was obvious to him that Fraser was being ignored by the deaf wolf.

"Ben, what's going on? And where's your uniform?" It was then that Ray noticed the dust and small particles of debris covering Fraser's face, hair, neck and arms.

Diefenbaker growled from the couch. "And what's wrong with the wolf?"

"Please, Ray, give me ten minutes. I am in desparate need of a shower, and maybe a few moments to calm down."

"Oh, okay, I've… uh, got dinner ready when you're done."

Ray watched Fraser retreat into their bedroom and cringed when he heard the door slam unexpectedly. This was so unlike Fraser to come home in a foul mood, he wondered what had happened today at work. His thoughts were interrupted by a brief cough by the entrance to their apartment. He glanced over towards the door and there stood Constable Turnbull carrying Fraser's red serge protected in a garment bag.

"I'm sorry, Sir, but Constable Fraser left his garment bag in the car. I'm afraid it's in need of a cleaning."

"Turnbull, it's Ray. No need to be formal. Come on in." Turnbull entered the apartment and handed the bag over to Ray who hung it up in the hall closet until Fraser was done in their bedroom. "You mind telling me why he's in such a bad mood?"

"From my understanding, Constable Fraser and Inspector Thatcher had a disagreement this afternoon. I believe it had to do with his vacation days. When we left for the hospital, she was…"

"Hospital? What the hell do you mean, _hospital_? Was he hurt or something?"

"Well, there were visitors to the Consulate today, who were in disagreement with Inspector Thatcher over a previous meeting they had with her. When they left, a small package was left behind, which turned out to be a small bomb. Constable Fraser was just leaving her office when it exploded. He was thrown against a wall and suffered a concussion and some minor scrapes and will most likely have some bruising as well. He was the only one hurt. I rode to the hospital with him to be looked over and Inspector Thatcher was to call you and let you know."

Ray was growing concerned and agitated at the same moment.

"I never got a call from her. I never got a call from anyone."

"Now, you understand Constable Fraser's mood. He kept asking for you and I just assumed she had called you, like she said she would. When you didn't show and they finally discharged him, I offered to bring him home. I called Inspector Thatcher and asked if she had phoned you and her reply was she got busy talking to the police and she forgot."

"She couldn't take two minutes to call me? Ok, that explains Fraser's foul mood, what's wrong with Dief?"

"I believe Diefenbaker wanted to bite her ankle and Constable Fraser wouldn't let him. I will let Constable Fraser tell you the rest. I understand today is an important day for the two of you? I delivered the potted plant to Constable Fraser, after retrieving it from Inspector Thatcher's office first. I believe she just assumed when it arrived it was for her. I got to the card before she could read it. I'm happy for the two of you. She doesn't deserve Constable Fraser. I must get going, please give my regards to Benton."

"Thanks Turnbull, I will tell him and thanks for being there for him today. I owe you."

"It was nothing. Let me know if you need anything."

Ray saw Turnbull out of the apartment and turned towards the bedroom. Turnbull could really surprise him sometimes. He glanced at Diefenbaker who appreared to still be scowling on the couch. "If it matters any, I would have let you bite her, Dief." Diefenbaker gave Ray a short yip and laid his head back down on the couch.

Ray turned and slowly entered their bedroom. He could hear the spray from the shower and thought about going into the bathroom but decided against that idea. Fraser apparently needed some space, if only for a few minutes to cool off. The shower stopped and he heard a curse escape from Fraser's mouth. It wasn't very often Fraser swore. He must really be in a mood. Ray left the bedroom and went into the kitchen to turn off the stove, no use burning dinner.

When he returned, he found Fraser slipping into a clean pair of jeans. He had been buying ones that fit a bit looser and Ray was admiring how they looked on him. He let out a small sigh and sat down on their bed.

"You want to tell me what has you all worked up?" Ray asked him cautiously.

Fraser turns around and looks at Ray and Ray can tell he had been crying at some point. He eyes were bloodshot red and his nose was running and there were tear tracks streaming down his face. Fraser tried to control his breathing.

"Four years, Ray… I wanted nothing more than to celebrate that this weekend by getting away. I planned days off months ago, ran it by Inspector Thatcher numerous times and now she tells me I am required to attend a conference in Ottawa, starting Friday and running through next week. God… the nerve of her. She knew how important this was to me. I wanted to take you back home, to the cabin. I arranged for us both to have the next two weeks off and then she goes and ruins all my efforts. And then the explosion at the consulate and they're sending me to the hospital and she said she was going to call you and then you never show and Turnbull has to bring me home and I kept thinking…maybe I had it all wrong. Maybe, I don't mean to him what he does to me and I'm lying there on that hospital bed waiting for damn doctor to release me so I can just go home and find out why you weren't there for me."

In two quick strides, Ray was off the bed and holding a shaking Fraser in his arms.

"Ben, I swear she never called me…I didn't know anything had happened. I would have been there in a heartbeat, you know that, right?"

"Does she think I have no life outside of the Consulate? Does she think that you don't matter to me and that it wouldn't bother me to have her cancel my plans? Why wouldn't she call you? She knows we're involved...I've told her countless times what you mean to me. And it isn't like I don't have the days coming to me. I have how many unused sick days, not to mention all of my previously unused vacation days. God, Ray...I didn't know what to think."

Ray wrapped his arms around Fraser and held him close. Fraser winced as Ray's arms brushed across some scrapes on his back.

"Ouch... not so tight, please."

"Sorry, Ben. You want me to put some of that pregnant ox muscle stinky stuff on for you? Those scrapes look kind of nasty?"

"No, I'll be ok...it's just a touch sore. They gave me an antibiotic and some pain medication at the hospital."

"I'm really sorry I wasn't there for you. Turnbull said Dief wanted to bite her ankle…I would have let him, it would have served her right."

Fraser slipped on a t-shirt and sat down on the bed and let out a small laugh.

"Yes, I quite agree with you, but don't tell him that, you know it will just go to his head. I'm sorry our weekend has been ruined. I was looking forward to finally surprising you. Now, I have to leave for a week."

Ray shrugged his shoulders. "It's okay, we can go to the cabin another time. I'm not going to let her ruin my night with you. Just for curiosity's sake, what would happen if you didn't go to the conference?"

"Disobey a direct order from my superior?"

"It sounds rather harsh when you put it like that…"

"I would be reprimanded and put on some form of probation."

"Haven't you been on some form of probation for like the last six years? Isn't that why you're here in Chicago and not in the Great White North?"

"I stopped thinking of it that way after I met you. I no longer saw my time here as a punishment. You're right, what else could they do?"

"Make you pull sentry duty every day. I know how much you love that."

"Ah, yes, there is that, but it's merely mind over matter and not at all that bad."

"Let's do it then. You obviously have tickets or whatever we need to get to Canada. The Ice Queen already approved your days months ago, she can't just cancel them, especially if you filled out forms and she signed them. You said I was already given the days off…let's just go, consequences be damned."

"You're right, she did sign my request forms. I will call her in the morning and tell her I'm not going to her conference. She will have to send someone else."

"Oh… let me call her." Ray perked up at the thought of giving the Ice Queen a piece of his mind.

"No, I don't think that is a wise idea."

"You know she's just mad because she can't get in your pants. Lucky for me, you'll _let me_ in them. Nice jeans by the way… I like them. You calmed down enough to eat some dinner?"

"Yes, I'm sorry, Ray for my outburst about Inspector Thatcher. The plant is lovely, by the way. You will be pleased to know that Turnbull had to wrestle it away from her. It will add some much needed color to my office. Thank you."

"God…you know how much I love you? Are you seriously alright, now that I've had a good look at you, you're pretty banged up."

"I'm fine or will be in the next day or so."

Ray wrapped his hand around Fraser's neck and pulled him in for a long tender kiss. He brushed a thumb over a bruise on Fraser's cheek and deepened his kiss.

"I don't know what I would do without you, Ben. You're everything to me."

Fraser kissed Ray back with the same intensity. "I would be lost forever without you, Ray. I love you. Let's go eat and then go to bed."

"Forget eating…let's go to bed instead." Ray pushed Fraser backwards towards their bed until his knees hit the edge. With a gentle push, he nudged him onto his back and helped Fraser scoot up towards the pillows. Ray crawled on top of Fraser and continued caressing his face with one hand while the other was busy undoing the button on Fraser's jeans. He had his long fingers on the zipper when he hesitated. "You okay to do this? I mean you were almost blown up today. I would understand if you want to wait."

"Yes, I'm okay and no… no waiting. I've waited all day for this, please don't stop."

Ray could feel Fraser's growing erection underneath him and with a quick pull, had the zipper down and was starting to grope Ben through his boxers. He had a firm grasp on Fraser's erection when Ben let out a wince.

"Oh my God, I'm hurting you." Ray let go and sat up quickly straddling Fraser's hips. "I'm sorry."

"No, it's okay, really." Ben pulled Ray down for another kiss and found the button to his jeans and with a quick pop had it undone and his hand found its way inside Ray's boxers. "Just… let's loose the clothes and lay here together. I just want to hold you." Ray helped Fraser out of his jeans and t-shirt and eventually boxers and discarded his own clothes onto a pile on the floor. He crawled up next to Ben and pulled the blankets up over them. They laid side by side and entwined their legs pulling each other closer until their erections were touching once again. Even if they didn't get to the sex tonight, this was good enough for Ray. Ben draped an arm over Ray's shoulder and Ray started running his fingers softly over Fraser's deepening bruises that were turning an angry shade of purple.

Fraser took his free hand and began tracing the outline of Ray's soft lips. Blue eyes locked onto even bluer ones and they both knew, this was where they were meant to be. Dinner and jobs took a backseat to this moment. They held each other close and sometime during the night, two became one.


End file.
